Gate latch



Dec. 6, 1924. 1,519,908

v I P. J.'ETUE GATE LATCH Original Filed Feb. 28, 1921 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNIT ED STATES PETER J. ETUE, OF MERRIAIVI, KANSAS.

GATE LATCH.

Original application filed February 28, 1921, Serial No. 448,426.

Divided and this application filed September 11, 1922. Serial No. 587,553.

To ((7! tr/mm. it may concern.

Be it known that 1, PETER J. ETUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at illerriani, in the county of Johnson and State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gate Latches. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gate latches. This application is a division of application Serial Number 4:4.8A26, filed February 28, 1921.

It relates particularly to latches for the type of gate which swings laterally and tilts vertically and has supporting means by which it is normally yielding upwardly tilted, and which carries a locking pin adapted, when the gate is closed and depressed and allowed to tilt upwardly, to enter a. notch in a holding plate. With gates oi this type, the gate is adapted to be unlocked by an animal, such as a horse, laaring down on and pressing laterally at the same time on the gate.

The object oi my invention is to provide a novel latch which can be readily manually released, but which will hold the gate from being tilted downwardly to a position in which the locking pin will be released from the holding plate, which will automatically lock, which is simple, strong and durable, not liable to get out of order, and which is etlicient in operation.

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred ei nbodinient of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a gate of the kind described provided with my improvement.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of my improved gate latch and a portion of the gate and support for the holding plate.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line l--'t of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical fraginental sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different views.

1 designates the gate frame, 2 the pest upon which it is swung, and 3 the post with which the gate is adapted to lockingly en- 'gi-ige.

One end of the gate is provided with. eves 4-, piivott-rlly engaging two supporting hooks mounted on the post 2, and on which the gate canswing in either direction from the closed position.

For normally tilting the gate upwardly, the latter has attached to it an eye plate 5 which is pivotallv engaged by a hool: 7 on a horizontal bolt 8, which is slidable in the post 2 and which has mounted on it a nut 9 against which bears one end of a coil spring 10, the other end of which bears against the post 2.

1 designates a locking plate rigidly attached by bolts 12 to the post 3. The under side of the plate 11 has a notch 13 which faces downwardly, and which is adapted to receive a locking pin 14, which rigidly attached to the gate 1.

The locking pin 14 holds the gate tt'rom tilting upwardlv from the closed osition shown in solid lines in Figs. 1, 3 and -'l-.

For preventing the gate from being tilted downwardly, by an animal pressing downwardly on the upper edge of the gate, so as to release the locking pin 1% from the plate. 11, I provide a bolt 15, parallel w'th the pin 1% :and longitudinally slidable in the gate 1.

As shown in Fig. 6, the bolt 15 may be slidably mounted in a sleeve 16 having at its outer end an internal flange 17 and which is titted in a hole provided therefor in the gate.

A coil spring 18 encircles the bolt l5, and bears at one end against the flange 1?, and at its other end bearing against a peripheral flange 19 with which. the bolt 15 is provided.

The spring 16 normally forces the bolt 15 to the locking position shown in Figs. 3 and i, and in solid lines in Fig. 6, in which position the bolt engages the plate 11 on the upper side thereof, thus preventing the gate being depressed so as to free the pin 14: from engagement with the plate 11.

As shown in the drawing, the plate 11 is preferably provided with an upwardly facing recess 20 adapted to receive the bolt 15.

For automatically guiding the bolt 15 into the recess 20, so that the bolt does not have to be manually Withdrawn in the locking operation, the plate 11 at opposite sides of the notch 20 is provided respectively with ill-3 llt) ' being normally tilted upwardly, a holding two inclined surfaces 21. The plate below the inclined surfaces 21 is provided respectively with two laterally oppositely disposed horns 22, disposed at opposite sides of the notch 13, each horn having a concave upper side for engaging and guiding the bolt 15 toward the notch 20. The under side of each horn 22 is convex, so as to guide the pin 14 into the notch 13.

In looking the gate, it is but necessary to close it and depress it from the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 8, below the position shown in solid lines in said figures, and to then permit the gate to tilt up- Wardly, so that the pin 14 enters the notch 13. In the closing movement of the gate, the bolt 15 will be guided by the concave side of the adjacent horn 22, and the adjacent inclined surface 21 into the notch 20.

To open the gate, the bolt 15 is manually withdrawn from the recess 20, after which the gate is depressed to free the pin 14 from the plate 11, and then swung to the open position.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a vertically and laterally swinging gate having means for being normally tilted upwardly, a holding plate having a downwardly facing notch, and a pin rigidly attached to the gate and adapted to enter said notch, when the gate is closed and depressed and then tilted upwardly, ,for holding the gate from lateral and upward swinging, of a bolt movable on the gate into engagement with said plate, when the pin is locked, and arranged to hold the gate from downward tilting, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a vertically and laterally swinging gate having means for plate having a downwardly facing notch, and a pin rigidly attached to the gate and adapted to enter said notch, when the gate is closed and depressed and then tilted upwardly, for holding the-gate from lateral and upward swinging, of a bolt movable on the gate into engagement with said plate, when the pin is locked, and arranged to hold the gate from downward tilting, and a spring normally forcing the bolt to the looking position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a laterally and vertically swinging gate having means for being normally tilted upwardly, and a pin rigidly attached to said gate, of a holding plate having a downwardly facing notch adapted to receive said pin, when the gate is closed and depressed and then tilted upwardly, and having a recess and provided at one side of said recess with bolt guiding means leading to the recess, the pin being arranged to hold the gate from upward and lateral swinging, a bolt movable on the gate into and out of said recess, when the pin is in locked engagement with the plate, the bolt being adapted to be engaged and guided by said guiding means into said recess, and a spring normally forcing the bolt to the locking position, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a laterally and vertically swinging gate having means for being normally tilted upwardly, and a pin rigidly attached to said gate, of a holding plate having a downwardly facing notch adapted to receive said pin, when the gate is closed and depressed and then tilted upwardly, and having a recess and provided at opposite sides of said recess with bolt guiding means leading to said recess, the pin being arranged to hold the gate from upward and lateral swinging, a bolt movable 011 the gate into and out of said recess, whenthe pin is in locked engagement with said plate, the bolt being adapted to be engaged and guided by said guiding means into said recess from either side of said plate, and a spring normally forcing the bolt to the locking position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PETER J. ETUE. 

